Is Double Cheeseburger (McDonald´S) Acidic or Alkaline?
Double cheeseburger (McDonald´s) (prepared) is acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
The Double Cheeseburger comes in at +8.9, more than the regular version. Two patties and two slices of cheese raise the share of protein and phosphorus in the total weight, while the bun stays the same. That also puts it above the Big Mac. The PRAL says nothing about fat, salt or the 230 kcal per 100 g, only about the mineral balance.
In the Meals & Fast Food category, double cheeseburger (McDonald´s) (prepared) ranks #110 of 118, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Meatball (German style) (+8.4), Toast Hawaii (+8.2), Chicken nuggets (+8.0). More acid-forming are Wiener schnitzel (veal) (+8.9), Sauerbraten (with gravy) (+9.4), Tacos (beef) (+9.6).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
On this site, acidic and alkaline refer to the PRAL (potential renal acid load). It estimates what a food leaves behind once it has been digested: a positive value is acid-forming, a negative value is alkalizing. That is different from the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0, so it is alkalizing. Your diet does not change your blood pH. It does change how much acid your kidneys have to deal with.
What balances double cheeseburger (McDonald´s)
A meal (300 g) of double cheeseburger (McDonald´s) adds +26.6 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is double cheeseburger (McDonald´s) acidic?
It depends on what you mean by acidic. The pH describes the food itself, for example how sour it tastes. The PRAL describes what it leaves behind after digestion: Double cheeseburger (McDonald´s) (prepared) has a PRAL of +8.9 per 100 g, so it counts as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much lamb's lettuce offsets a meal (300 g) of double cheeseburger (McDonald´s)?
A meal (300 g) of double cheeseburger (McDonald´s) adds +26.6 to your daily balance. Lamb's lettuce (fresh) has −8.3 per 100 g, so about 320 g of lamb's lettuce offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid double cheeseburger (McDonald´s) on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Double cheeseburger (McDonald´s) is acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Double Cheeseburger (McDonald´S) logged, balance checked.
Basentracker adds up every meal automatically and shows whether your day is in the alkaline range. The same values as on this page, all 977 foods, photo scan, recipes.
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Compare all Meals & Fast Food: Meals & Fast Food table. Common questions are answered in Acidic or Alkaline?, and the PRAL calculator adds up a whole meal.
Source: Basentracker food database (PRAL according to Remer & Manz, calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per 100 g). This information does not replace medical advice.